Celebrate Labor Day

Get outta Austin: Best hotel deals and packages for Labor Day vacations across Texas

The summer vacation season is coming to a close and Labor Day weekend is a great opportunity to get out of town for one last summer hurrah. To help you navigate what’s out there, here are just a few of the best deals to take advantage across Texas for a no-hassle weekend vacation.

Austin-area staycations
Holiday Weekends at Lakeway Resort and Spa
Three-day weekends are a great way to unwind, and Lakeway Resort and Spa regularly offers weekend deals for various holidays. This special offer applies to Labor Day weekend, August 29-31. Guests receive 30 percent off the best available rate — rooms starting at $209 per night.

It’s the Season to Save at Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort and Spa
Take a quick drive out to the scenic Lost Pines Resort and Spa for a relaxing getaway. Guests can save 20 percent on a stay of two nights or more by using the offer code “SHSALE” when booking a room. Rates start at $272, and the offer extends through September 4.

Dive Into Summer at Omni Barton Creek Resort and Spa
This special package is available through September 1 and guests can save $50 per day with a minimum two-night stay. Choose the Summer Splash Family Package starting at $359, which includes a daily breakfast for up to two adults and two children ages 12 and under, plus two pool rafts and a bottle of sunscreen.

San Antonio
Best of The Emily at The Emily Morgan Hotel
The self-proclaimed “Official Hotel of the Alamo” offers a great location right in the heart of San Antonio. Try out the Best of The Emily Package, starting at $194, for the ultimate San Antonio experience. Amenities include complimentary breakfast at the award-winning Oro Restaurant, discounted valet parking with unlimited in/out privileges and late check out at 2 pm. A nice alternative is the Family Fun Package (a three-night minimum stay), featuring breakfast for four and free Internet access. This package starts at $159.

Rockin’ the River Walk at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk Hotel
Located in the popular entertainment district of San Antonio, the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk Hotel is in a prime spot. For the Rockin’ the River Walk deal, rates are as low as $129 dollars, and for a nominal fee, you can upgrade for views of the River Walk, the Alamo and more. The It’s the Season to Save special is also available at the Hyatt Regency Riverwalk, which means you get 20 percent off of your stay through September 4.

The Holiday Inn El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel
El Tropicano offers close access to the beautiful Museum Reach section of the San Antonio River Walk. Try out El Tropicano’s River Taxi Package, starting at $194, to receive two riverboat tickets for a lazy journey down the River Walk — plus parking and free Wi-Fi at the hotel. The Bed and Breakfast Package starts at $179 and provides a free breakfast buffet for two at on-site restaurant, Mangos.

Gulf Coast escapes
Explore Moody Gardens at Moody Gardens Hotel, Galveston
For a final summer beach getaway, it’s hard to beat the Moody Gardens Hotel and its offer to explore all of the local sites. Starting at $387 for a weekend stay, guests receive two day passes to the nearby Moody Gardens attractions, complimentary yoga and complimentary valet parking for one night. Also available for the holiday weekend are the Spa Package, Stay and Play Golf Package and the Bed & Breakfast Package.

Hurricane Alley Waterpark Family Package at Omni Corpus Christi Hotel
Enjoy deluxe accommodations and tickets for two adults and two kids at the Hurricane Alley Waterpark, starting at $255. A family-friendly experience, this package includes a backpack for each kid, milk and cookies on arrival night and a daily breakfast. You can also save $25 per day with the Dive Into Summer Package if you don’t need the extra bells and whistles.

Port Royal Ocean Resort and Conference Center, Port Aransas
As a Labor Day special, Port Royal Ocean Resort offers deals from August 17-September 1 for three-night stays at the condos. A one bedroom room starts at $307, two bedroom condos range from $397-$447 and the three bedroom condos come in at $527; each package comes with a $100 resort credit.

Houston
Summer in the City at Hotel Granduca
The Summer in the City Package at the deluxe Hotel Granduca provides suite accommodations, early check-in and late check-out for guests. Guests get a $50 food and beverage credit for several dining options including The Veranda and Ristorante Cavour. Rates for suites start as a low as $215. This offer is valid for stays Thursdays through Sundays through September 1.

Holiday Special at Hotel Sorella
Receive the third night free when you book two nights over the weekend from August 28-September 1. Rates start at $169 per night for double occupancy, and the complimentary night can be applied to the current stay or used for a future weekend reservation.

Family Vacation at Crowne Plaza Houston
If you want to enjoy the sights and sounds of Houston, this Family Vacation package has you covered. Starting at $197, the package includes two adult and two kids city passes to local attractions such as Space Center Houston, the Houston Zoo and the Downtown Aquarium. It also comes with a full breakfast each day, downtown shuttle transportation and a $25 food and beverage credit.

Dallas
Summer Family Fun Package at the Fairmont Dallas 
The Fairmont’s package includes a $50 food and beverage credit, which can be used for breakfast, a poolside snack or dinner at the Pyramid Restaurant. Book a suite and receive 50 percent off a second adjoining room for the kids. On Saturday evenings, enjoy complimentary "dive-in" movies at the rooftop pool, featuring popular family-friendly films, popcorn and fun pool toys. The package also includes one complimentary in-room movie per night. Rates start at $209 per night, and the package is available through September 7.

Poolside Specials at Ritz-Carlton, Dallas 
In honor of Labor Day, the Ritz-Carlton spa staff is celebrating poolside. On August 30 from 11 am-4 pm, hotel guests can get complimentary NuFace mini-treatments right from their pool chairs. Known as "Pilates for your face," the facial comprises a quick cleanse followed by the application of the NuFace microcurrent to rejuvenate, firm, tone and lift the skin. Other signature treatments are also available for purchase. The Ritz is also offering special Labor Day libations such as jalapeño margaritas and mixed berry mojitos. Rooms start at $369.

Vital Fitness Studio Promotion at The Joule 
The Joule accommodates fitness-minded vacationers with one free class per day (Saturday through Monday) at Vital Fitness Studio. Relax post-workout with a jade and volcanic stone massage. The 80-minute treatment combines cool jade crystals and warm volcanic stones to relieve deep muscle tension and rejuvenate the mind and body. This service is offered throughout September. Hotel rates start at $223 a night.

Holiday Weekends at Lakeway Resort and Spa feature 30 percent off best available rate.

Austin photo: Events_Lakeway Resort_Poster

Photo courtesy of Lakeway Resort and Spa

Holiday Weekends at Lakeway Resort and Spa feature 30 percent off best available rate.

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Light it up, y'all!

Sensational Texas holiday display battles on TV's Christmas Light Fight

Mach Christmas Display, Ennis, Great Christmas Light Fight

Photo courtesy of Patrick Mach

The Austin section has guacamole and music tributes.

Patrick Mach harbored a Texas-sized dream to compete on ABC’s The Great Christmas Light Fight. When he finally got the call, he built Texas.

The Mach Christmas Display — a massive walk-through attraction in the North Texas town of Ennis — will compete on the hit reality competition on Thursday, December 19. They’ll battle against three other families around the country for $50,000, a trophy, and serious bragging rights.

“It’s a bucket-list item to be on the show,” Mach says. “I’ve always wanted to be on since season one.” (The show is now in season 12.)

The Mach family — Patrick and wife Natasha and their four kids, Natalie (17), Ethan (16), Noelle (12), and Brandon (11) — all pitched in to create the display and will appear on the show.

The family lives on a “mini-ranch” in the Ennis-Alma area, about 40 minutes south of Dallas. (Ennis is famous for its Bluebonnet Trails each spring). Three-and-a-half acres of their 10-acre property are taken over by their Christmas lights extravaganza each holiday season. It even has its own electrical meter.

“Texas” uses half-a-million lights, 200 inflatables, and custom-built pieces to depict 40 cities and towns across the Lone Star State (though not actually in the shape of Texas). Each is marked with a green city-limits sign and has a vignette that represents the city.

“Live Music Capital” Austin has a guitar with strings that “play.” (A custom Texas Capitol building will be constructed for next year’s display.) San Antonio has a giant, 8-foot-tall Alamo outlined in lights and a River Walk bridge crossing a blue river. “Space City” Houston has rockets and Buzz Lightyear.

Mach Christmas Display, Great Christmas Light Fight, Dog Ridge The Dog Ridge, Texas section, of course, features dogs.Photo courtesy of ABC

Fort Worth gets longhorns and a Texas Motor Speedway-inspired racetrack, complete with “Lightning McQueen” and “Tow Mater” Disney/Pixar characters. Dallas features a custom wireframe outline of the skyline, plus Dallas Cowboys inflatables and a whole section devoted to the State Fair.

The smaller Texas town displays are just as creative: Glen Rose has dinosaurs, College Station has Texas A&M-inspired military drummers, New Braunfels has a polar bear floating the river, and Ennis, of course, has bluebonnets.

Mach Christmas Display, Ennis, Great Christmas Light Fight The Glen Rose section has dinosaurs.Photo courtesy of ABC

In a nod toThe Great Christmas Light Fight host Carter Oosterhouse, they added Carter, Texas — yes, an actual town in Parker County — just for the show. It included a mural of Oosterhouse riding a bull. The host, Mach says, was impressed.

Love of Christmas
The Machs’ drive to light up a Texas-sized spectacle comes from their deep love of Christmas. Patrick and Natasha met on a dating app when she “hearted” his Christmas-y photo. On one of their first dates, during the pandemic, they watched a Great Christmas Light Fight marathon. He proposed to her on his Christmas lights display at home. They married in a Christmas-themed wedding three years ago, and Santa even showed up.

Patrick Mach had grown up loving Christmas and putting up displays with his father, from whom he learned carpentry. His dad gifted him an old-fashioned blow-mold nativity scene in 2004; he then passed away on December 30, 2006.

“So since he passed so close to Christmas, every year I did a little more to keep mind off what happened … then it just became so big,” Mach says.

In fact, Mach had been nominated for the Light Fightevery year since 2019. He never thought he was ready.

“It took a few years to commit,” he says, “then 2023 came around and we said, ‘Let’s go.’”

The family found out they’d made the show in September 2023. Filming would take place around Thanksgiving. Each member of the family, plus an army of friends, worked from a “battle plan” to design and build the display, which would be greatly expanded for the show.

“From 2022 to 2023, we doubled the display,” he says. “It was all hands on deck. We were still working on it the day they showed up (to film).”

The shoot lasted a few days and was an “awesome experience,” Mach says. The crew became like family.

“Behind the scenes we were always cutting up, laughing, the kids made friends with the producers,” he says. “We still text message with the producers every so often, and one camera guy brought us a Christmas display item that he doesn’t use and wanted to go to a good family.”

Two things that surprised him behind the scenes: how strict they were about using copyrighted characters and images (no Grinches allowed) and how tiring the filming was.

“After we filmed, I slept the best I'd slept in months,” he jokes.

Mach Christmas Display, Ennis, Great Christmas Light Fight The Mach family with Great Christmas Light Fight host Carter Oosterhouse.Photo courtesy of Patrick Mach

He remains tight-lipped about the outcome of the show. But if the family does win, he’d like to put the $50,000 toward a well-deserved vacation. They're the fourth Texas contenders on this season of Light Fight; so far, none has been victorious.

Gift to the community
Win or lose, the Mach Christmas Display will remain on for the public to walk through and enjoy on select nights through the holidays. (Watch their Facebook page for the schedule.) There’s no charge to see it, but they do collect donations for local charities such as Toys for Tots, Helping Hands of Ennis, and the SPCA.

It can be a little tricky to find, and GPS doesn’t always route to the right place, so they advise visitors to use the pin they’ve dropped on Google Maps.

Although the Machs have attracted visitors from several hours away, they remain focused on sharing their love of Christmas with their community.

“Ennis is a smaller town, and this is our way of giving back to the community,” Mach says, “of giving families something to do around the holidays because there’s nothing around here like this.”

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The Machs’ episode of The Great Christmas Light Fight will air at 7 pm Thursday, December 19 on ABC and will be available to stream on Hulu the next day. The Mach Christmas Display is open on select nights through the holiday season; follow their Facebook page for the schedule and more information. The address is 171 FM1183, Ennis, 75119. Follow the directions at the pin on Google Maps. For lists of Fort Worth's best Christmas lights, go here and here.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Mach

The Austin section has guacamole and music tributes.

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